Know2eat

Bok choy

Brassica rapa subsp. chinensis

What bok choy has been studied for

2 associations assessed — none with dependable human evidence behind them yet. Strongest first.

  • 2 Insufficient
3 things to know first — allergies, interactions and intake limits

About bok choy

A non-heading Chinese cabbage with white or pale green stalks and dark spoon-shaped leaves, sold full size or as baby heads. It cooks in a fraction of the time of European cabbage.

Also known as Pak choi, Chinese white cabbage, Bok choi, Pak-choi

Bone HealthHeart Health

The evidence in depth

Best supported: Insufficient

What each association actually rests on, and the papers behind it. A rating describes the state of the research, not how impressive the food is. How we rate evidence.

Bone mineral density

Bone Health
Insufficient evidence

Bok choy is often cited as a well-absorbed plant calcium source because its oxalate content is low. Absorption studies support that comparison, but no trial has tested whether eating it affects bone density, so the bone claim is unevidenced.

Insufficient evidence. Not enough human research to say anything useful yet.

No source is attached to this association yet, so it is rated insufficient by default. It is listed because people commonly ask about it — not because there is evidence for it.

Cardiovascular risk markers

Heart Health
Insufficient evidence

Observational studies consistently link higher cruciferous vegetable intake with lower cardiovascular risk, and bok choy is a major contributor to that intake in East Asian cohorts. Single-vegetable trials do not exist, and observational data of this kind cannot separate the vegetable from the diet around it.

Insufficient evidence. Not enough human research to say anything useful yet.

No source is attached to this association yet, so it is rated insufficient by default. It is listed because people commonly ask about it — not because there is evidence for it.

Ask about Bok choy

Ask about Bok choy

Answers are written only from the entries on this page — the same nutrients, compounds, claims and citations you can read above. Nothing is added from outside the database, and every answer lists what it was built from.

AI explanations are not switched on for this site, so there is nothing to ask here. Everything above is read straight from the database and does not need them.

Key nutrients

Nutrient content per 100 grams
NutrientAmount% DV
Macronutrients
Calories13 kcal1%
Protein1.5 g3%
Total fat0.2 g0%
Carbohydrate2.18 g1%
Fibre1 g4%
Total sugars1.18 g—
Water95.3 g—
Fats
Saturated fat0.027 g0%
Monounsaturated fat0.015 g—
Polyunsaturated fat0.096 g—
Cholesterol0 mg0%
EPA (omega-3)0 g—
DHA (omega-3)0 g—
DPA (omega-3)0 g—
Linoleic acid (omega-6)0.042 g—
Vitamins
Vitamin A223 µg25%
Vitamin C45 mg50%
Vitamin D0 µg0%
Vitamin E0.09 mg1%
Vitamin K45.5 µg38%
Thiamin (B1)0.04 mg3%
Riboflavin (B2)0.07 mg5%
Niacin (B3)0.5 mg3%
Pantothenic acid (B5)0.088 mg2%
Vitamin B60.194 mg11%
Folate66 µg17%
Vitamin B120 µg0%
Choline6.4 mg1%
Minerals
Calcium105 mg8%
Iron0.8 mg4%
Magnesium19 mg5%
Phosphorus37 mg3%
Potassium252 mg5%
Sodium65 mg3%
Zinc0.19 mg2%
Copper0.021 mg2%
Manganese0.159 mg7%
Selenium0.5 µg1%
Other measured compounds
Beta-carotene2681 µg—
Alpha-carotene1 µg—
Lycopene0 µg—
Lutein + zeaxanthin40 µg—
Caffeine0 mg—
Ash0.8 g—

Nutrient values are per 100 g of the USDA reference entry named on this page and vary with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

Source record: Cabbage, chinese (pak-choi), raw (USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 170390).

% DV uses the FDA Daily Values for adults and children aged 4 and over. A dash means no Daily Value has been established for that nutrient.

Bioactive compounds

Compounds present in meaningful amounts. Presence is banded rather than quantified, because whole-food levels vary enormously with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

How preparation changes things

Only effects with real support are listed. If a preparation method is missing, it is because nothing dependable is documented — not because it makes no difference.

  • crushedIncreases isothiocyanate yield

    Shredding or chopping and then waiting several minutes before heating lets myrosinase convert more glucosinolate into isothiocyanate before the enzyme is destroyed.

  • steamedPreserves glucosinolates

    Brief steaming or stir-frying retains far more glucosinolate than boiling, because nothing leaches into discarded water.

Things to know

Allergies, interactions and intake concerns. Every food gets this section — a reference where everything is uniformly good is not a reference.

  • Worth knowing

    Very large raw intakes and the thyroid

    A published case describes profound hypothyroidism in a woman eating well over a kilogram of raw bok choy daily for months. That is an extreme intake and not a reason to avoid the vegetable, but it does show the goitrogenic effect of raw brassicas is real at the far end of the dose range. Cooking largely removes it.

  • Interaction

    Vitamin K and warfarin

    The dark leaves carry appreciable vitamin K1. As with other greens, the issue for anyone on warfarin is a sudden change in intake rather than the vegetable itself.

  • Too much

    Bloating from raw brassica fibre

    Raw bok choy contains raffinose and insoluble fibre that are fermented in the colon, which commonly produces wind when raw intake rises sharply.